We were talking about the Seven Deadly Emotions of Caregiving on the Engaging in Aging Radio Show this past Sunday with Dr. Sean Pritchard. The stress that comes with caring for an ailing loved one can triggers an avalanche of emotions, some of them that can damage the caregiver’s own health if not addressed. Despite being what I consider a …

Having just returned from my annual camping trip with six of my besties of 25 years, some things never change: women definitely need their girlfriends. We came together initially as each of us were exploring the deeper meaning of our lives in personal growth workshops and group encounters back when I was transitioning into the middle years of my life. …

I turned sixty-five today. You think about it of course as the day approaches, but now it’s actually here. I have to say that when my Old Age Security letter arrived in the mail a week ago, I had to read it several times and it was rather a bitter-sweet moment. Oh, that’s nice to oh my god how did …

My new favorite passion is learning more about the brain and how it works, both to stay healthier and to create more joy and happiness in my life. Particularly as we travel through the journey of aging in the third chapter of life, we are faced with uncertainty and this in itself can lead to feeling stressed. Richard Lazarus has …

I had the pleasure of attending the Okanagan Symposium on Brain Health last week, an annual event put on by BrainTrust Canada here in Kelowna. It was a fabulous gathering of both participants and speakers to explore the importance of thinking about our brain as an organ of the body that we should take better care of. The opening speaker, …

The second annual Creative Aging Day event is coming up this month in Kelowna on June 19th. The exhibitions, performances, displays and discussions around creative expression and well-being will flow between the Rotary Centre of the Arts, the Factory and the Kelowna Art Gallery this year. Kelowna is blessed to have a community of inspired people who wish to extend …

For many people in the later years, the sphere of relationships is continuously diminishing. Various theories on disengagement suggest that this is the normal pattern of life for people as they retire. The word “disengagement” itself suggests a withdrawal from active life. I remember when my father retired at the age of fifty-five. It seemed early at the time, but …

I had the pleasure before Christmas of attending the West Kelowna Silver Song Group, a session of singing and music which is the brainchild of the Sing For Your Life Foundation. Now in its fourth season, regular sessions are held at three locations in our area to offer a unique and protected model of participatory music-making for older adults. The …

A month has passed since the death of my mother and having now lost our second parent, my three sisters and I are feeling the need to form a different circle together. Mom held a powerful energy her whole life that somehow structured a protective moat around each of us, as well as aimed our individual purposes forward like an …